Short Summary

SOUTH KOREA'S TIGER DIVISION HAS LAUNCHED OPERATION LIGHTING III IN THE QUI NHON AREA OF S.

Description

SOUTH KOREA'S TIGER DIVISION HAS LAUNCHED OPERATION LIGHTING III IN THE QUI NHON AREA OF S. VIETNAM, ABOUT 270 MILES (434 KILOMETRES) NORTHEAST OF SAIGON.

THERE HAD BEEN INCREASING VIET CONG ACTIVITY IN THE QUI NHON AREA, AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE REPORTED THAT A LARGE FORCE WAS IN HIDING THERE. BEFORE THE GROUND TROOPS MOVED INTO THE AREA, IT WAS MACHINE GUNNED AND MORTARED. BEFORE TROOPS COULD GET INTO THE VILLAGE, THEY HAD TO HACK THEIR WAY THROUGH OBSTACLES LIKE BAMBOO FENCES. THEY FOUND THE VILLAGE DESERTED, BUT STILL SEARCHED HOUSES THOROUGHLY.

MANY PEASANT HOMES HAD BEEN BADLY DAMAGED BY A UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BOMBING RAID IN SUPPORT OF THE KOREANS ON THE GROUND. THE VILLAGERS HAD TAKEN REFUGE IN SECRET TUNNELS. WHEN THE TROOPS UNCOVERED THE TUNNEL ENTRANCES, THEY FLUSHED THE HIDING VIETNAMESE OUT WITH HAND GRENADES, AND THEN DETAINED MANY OF THE VILLAGERS ON SUSPICION OF BEING VIET CONG SYMPATHISERS. THE DESERTED VILLAGE WAS THEN SET ABLAZE.

THE SOUTH KOREANS CLAIMED THAT OPERATIONS LIGHTING III HAD NETTED 40 VIET CONG DEAD, 15 CAPTURED AND 250 SUSPECTS AND SYMPATHISERS DETAINED. THEY ALSO CAPTURED THREE RECOILLESS RIFLES, ONE ROCKER LAUNCHER AND A QUANTITY OF GRENADES AND AMMUNITION.

THE TIGER DIVISION HAS ALREADY BEEN DECORATED FRO COURAGE IN ITS ACTION AGAINST THE VIET CONG IN THE QUI NHON AREA, WHICH IS CLAIMED TO HAVE TAKEN A TOTAL OF 229 VIET CONG LIVES.